Musical Musings: Day 31 (The Big One)

And here we are. A month has come and gone, and I've managed to post a song for every single day up to now. Each of these songs means something to me, and I'm sure it showed you guys which bands have touched my life the most, based on how many repeats of Jon Foreman, U2 and Tears For Fears there were. That said, I'm going to go more in-depth for this last one, and I hope you'll bear with me as I bare my soul a bit.

A lot of you are probably tired of hearing me talk about this song, and I understand that, but it's influence on my life can't be overstated. To my close friends reading this: Some of you never would have met me if it weren't for this song. Period. I'm not kidding when I say this song saved my life. In every way, figurative and literal, this song saved me. And it's continued to save me through the years when I'm at my lowest.

So, I'd like to break this song down, chunk by chunk, and give you some insight into why I love it.

(Verse 1)
She's alone tonight with a bitter cup and
She's undone tonight, she's all used up,
She's been staring down the demons
Who've been screaming
She's just another so and so,
Another so and so.









The first verse is very straightforward. She's alone "with a bitter cup." Has she been drinking? Possibly. Is she trying to poison herself? Also possible.

Her personal demons are screaming at her, telling her she's nothing, she's worthless. Are they really demons, or is this just the perception of herself? Either could be true.


  (Chorus)
You are golden,
You are golden, Child
You are golden,
(Don't let go)
(Don't let go tonight)







And our first run at the Chorus. It's a perfect response to the first verse. I picture the girl looking in a mirror here, and either she or a voice in her head says this to her, telling her that no matter what anyone or anything has screamed at her, it can't change who she really is.


 (Verse 2)
There's a fear that burns like trash inside
And your shame of the curse that burns your eyes
You've been hiding in your bedroom,
Hoping this isn't how the story has to go
It's not the way it goes,
It's your book now,


Sometimes it's easier to hide than to face our demons, whatever they might be. Here, she's alone, afraid, crying. And unlike the first verse, the narrator addresses her directly, telling her this is her story, and she gets to write it however she wants. This is where the song turns into an anthem of hope.

 (Chorus)
You are golden,
You are golden, Child
You are golden,
(Don't let go)
(Don't let go tonight)


The chorus, once again, fits perfectly with the verse. This time, instead of reassurance, it's affirmation that everything will be okay. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

(Bridge)
You're a lonely soul in a land of broken hearts
You're far from home, it's a perfect place to start


This is very simple. We are the land of broken hearts. We've come a long way from where we began, but that's the perfect place to start over.

(Verse 3)
So this final verse is a contradiction
And the more we learn the less we know

We've been talkin' about a feeling,
We both know inside but couldn't find the words
I couldn't write this verse,
I've seldom been so sure,
About anything before
I can't put into words how much I love this verse, just like Jon can't put his feeling into words. So, the beginning with "the more we learn, the less we know" is an old mantra we've heard a million times throughout our lives. And we've heard it that much because it's true and always relevant. I love the honesty here, too. There's something that needs to be said, and it's really important ... maybe TOO important to be put into words, so the feeling has to come through.

(Chorus)
Golden,
You are Golden, Child

You are Golden,
(Don't let go)
(Don't let go tonight)


And one last time, we repeat the chorus straight, just as a reminder.

(Outro)
This world is a dead man down (Golden, you are)
Every breath is a fading crown we wear (Golden, Child, you are)
Like some debilitated king (Golden, don't let go)
Don't let go tonight

The Earth spins and the moon goes round (Golden, you are)
The green comes from the frozen ground (Golden, Child, you are)
And everything will be made new again (Golden)
(Like freedom in spring) (Golden, Golden)

Hey, like freedom in spring, (Golden, you are, hey)
Like freedom in spring (Golden, Child, you are)
(Gold...)

The gist here, without dragging this out, is that the world is fleeting. Over time everything is broken down and rebuilt, even us. Even when the winter cold buries the grass with snow, eventually the green breaks through, like new. We're free to live our lives, and even when things get dark and we're buried by doubts and fears, we'll come out on the other side, as green as ever.

And that's it for the month. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me to the end and took the time to read and listen. I hope I've given you all something positive out of this that you can continue to take with you for the rest of your life. Music is powerful and sacred, piercing into the depths of the soul like nothing else can, so sharing these song from my heart with you is the most awesome gift I can think to give. I love it when people share those moments with me, and I hope you feel the same.

Now, I've gotta go turn 27 in a couple of days, so I'll see you on the other side!  

Musical Musings: Days 28-30

Since I've got two posts to make today, let's just dive right in!



Day 28: Fighting To Survive by Building 429

Let me be clear that I can't stand this band. I listened to them for awhile because I was being forced to listen to Christian music and almost nothing else, and they kind of suck. And by "kind of" I mean "HolyMotherOfGodHowTheHellDidTheseGuysGetSignedEvenOnAChristianLabel?!"

Anyway, this song always stuck with me, despite the band singing it. (Hm, someone else needs to cover this and make it better....) It's message is very simple: We're all in this together, and downing a person when you have no idea what they're going through isn't right. You might be more like them than you think.

So, I recommend listening to this song purely for the message, because the lead singer sucks. If you can struggle past him, I think you'll find a song worth remembering, like I have.

Day 29: Terminal by Jon Foreman

This song was the first track feature on the Wonderlands EP set. It's very haunting and beautiful, and deserves to be the first track you hear.

"The doctor says I’m dying,
I die a little every day.
He’s got no prescription,
That could take my death away.
The doctor says, It don’t look so good
It’s terminal."

With an opening like that, how can you not listen to the rest of the song? This planet is a ship we all share, and we're all terminal, so why do we fight our brothers and sisters? This song is food for thought.

Day 30: Goodnight Song by Tears For Fears

This song is special to me because it perfectly captures the feeling of playing a show for a good audience. When the lights go on, and the guitars are screaming. When the crowd knows the song and starts singing along, maybe with the wrong lyrics, but they're giving it all their heart. That's a very special and precious feeling that let's a musician know that what they're doing is worth it. This was also Tears' last song to have Chart success, way back in 1993. Enjoy.

Musical Musings: Days 18-27

And we're back! Sorry this one's so much later than the others, but don't worry, I've got you covered with TEN songs to make up for it! So let's dive right in.



Day 18: Castle On the Hill by Ed Sheeran

I like this song a lot because it reminds me of when I was growing up. Listening to this always gives me flashbacks to hanging out with my friends, having drinks and laughing our asses off to stupid jokes. Good times.

Day 19: Raised By Wolves by U2

From what is, in my opinion, one of U2's greatest albums. Most people are still riding the U2 Hate Train for no reason and missed out on the entire Songs of Innocence album, which contained some of their best songs to date, and that's saying a lot. Raised By Wolves stood out to me because of how visceral it is. We open with an act of terror:

"Metal crash
I can’t tell what it is
But I take a look
And now I’m sorry I did
5:30 on a Friday night
Thirty-Three good people cut down."

Later on we get this chilling verse:

"Boy sees his father
Crushed under the weight
Of a cross in a passion
Where the passion is hate
Blue mink Ford
I’m gonna detonate and you're dead.

"Blood in the house
Blood on the street
The worst things in the world
Are justified by belief
Registration 1385-WZ"

Bono said this song was based on the brutal honesty he read in the Psalms, and I can believe that. This one pulls no punches and forces us to stare at the ugly side of humanity and deal with our doubts.

Day 20: Break It Down Again by Tears For Fears

I love this song. I remember the first time I heard it, then kept hitting repeat, ignoring the rest of the album. That's a rarity for me, and only happens when a song resonates strongly at the time, so I knew this song was special.

I've heard multiple interpretations of this song over the years, but for me, the most basic ones seem to be the most accurate. Roland mentions "waste seeping underground" and "they make no mention of the beauty of decay." This seems to be pointing the finger at corporations destroying the earth with their greed, keeping themselves alive as long as possible. Another line "When it's all misxed up, better break it down" could be saying that, when things get too out of hand, sometimes breaking things down to their core and going back to basics is the only way to move forward.

But, with that, I'll let you guys listen and decide for yourselves.

Day 21: Bullet Proof by The Goo Goo Dolls

First off, don't ask me why it's "Bullet Proof" and not "Bulletproof," because I've been asking the same question since I heard the song. But, questionable name aside, this is a great song. Both parties in this song are self-destructive, not wanting what's best for them. I've known way too many of these people in my lifetime, and I always tend to get too involved, trying to help. I think that's why this one resonates so well with me.

Day 22: Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park

I'll admit, I didn't like anything the band put out after this album, but it still felt like a gut-punch when I heard about Chester Bennington's death. And now, going back and listening to the first two albums with that in mind, you start to realize just how close he was to death all these years.

And yes, I've read all the rumors about Chester and Chris Cornell. About how they were actually murdered because they were getting ready to expose a massive pedophile ring, but let's be real ... there's a 99.99% chance that's all made up bullshit because people just can't seem to deal with their idols killing themselves. They're human, just like the rest of us, and the average songwriter deals with a lot of depression. Why do you think it's so easy for some of us to describe pain an anguish? Because we feel it all the time! And I feel like running with these wild stories spits on the memory of who they were. I imagine they'd like to be remembered as a cautionary tale of how fame and fortune don't solve all your problems.

Anyway, this has always been my favorite Linkin Park song, and I hope you guys enjoy revisiting.

Day 23: Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden

And speaking of Chris Cornell, here we are with his Magnum Opus. It's a very trippy dreamscape of a song and I think that's why it worked so well. The chords were a canvas and Cornell painted them with whatever lyrics sounded best at the time. Because of this, while the song doesn't have a definitive meaning, you can pull so many different messages out of it. It's really interesting to go read lyric-theory threads on this song and see just how different people see this song.

Personally, the message that always came to me was that, because humans will be humans, the only way the world will ever be fixed is for it to be sucked away. I know that's dark, but that felt like the mood of the song to me. What do you guys think?

Day 24: Twenty-Four by Switchfoot

Yes, I put this one at this spot on purpose, because it seemed funny. Anyway, this was the second song I ever learned to play on guitar. My fingers were to the point of bleeding that weekend from learning this and On Fire over a weekend, but that didn't stop me from pressing on until I could play these two blindfolded.

Nowadays, when I play this song at a show, it always seems to make the room go quiet. I don't consider myself religious by any means, but the spiritual aspect of this song still rings true to me. You don't have to be religious to find truth in this song. We all want to be more than we are, and we all struggle to get there. I sincerely hope you give this one a shot. You might be surprised at what you find.

Day 25: If You're Gone by Matchbox 20

Yeah, you knew I had to put a sappy love song up here at some point, so here it is, one we all know and either love or hate with a passion. I fall into the former, but I completely understand if you're not a fan of this one. It's very much a product of it's time, and it's very simple. I think that's one of the reasons I like it. Sometimes love songs can get overly-complicated when they need simplicity. That's not to say EVERY love song needs to be simple, but a lot of them try to be more than what they are. If You're Gone doesn't have this issue, and that makes it special to me.

Day 26: Some Fantastic by Barenaked Ladies

Yes! Another cheesy love song! This one's completely insane and out there, rejecting every archetype for a standard love song. I'm not even going to go further into this one. Just have a listen for yourself!

Day 27: Betrayal by Fiction Family

Now we'll take a detour and go from a love song to a song about a love betrayed. Don't let the catchy tune fool you, this one ends poorly for our protagonist. Enjoy!

And that's it for now. See ya next time!

Musical Musings: Days 12-17

I know this post is more spaced out than the last few have been, but I wanted to let "Songs of Hope" sit for a few days before I put up anything else. That said, here's six songs that I hope you guys enjoy!



Day 12: Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World by U2

There are several songs in the past week that have taken up residence in my head and won't leave. This one is one of the more prominent, but I'll be getting to the other in a second.

Ever stumbled out of a bar, drunk out of your mind? You know, bumping into people, giving them a hug and telling these complete strangers how much you love them? That's what this song is about. But I've also heard people say they see it as being about a man and woman in a difficult relationship, which also makes sense. Still, Bono referred to it as U2's "Irish Drinking Song" about walking home drunk, so that's the intent behind it, but the wonderful thing about music is that it's open to interpretation. So, what do you pull from this one?

Day 13: Every Breaking Wave by U2

Yup, another U2 song in the same post! This is one of the other songs that's been living in my head for a week, only slightly less than the one above. I loved this song from the moment I heard it several years ago. Chasing every breaking wave is something humans have a tendency to do. We run after every glamorous impossibility, certain we can catch it, but in the back of our minds we know the truth. As a race, it seems like we really are in love with defeat, judging by the way we act, and this song really breaks all of that down for me.

Day 14: Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars

Poison and Wine was the big hit for these guys when this album dropped, and while I love that song, this title track beats it by a mile. We've got the story of a man who's committed a murder, and even though he's not afraid to die, he's afraid of being sent to hell, so he keeps running. It's a great song with a catchy tune, and if you like Folk, I think you'll dig this one.

Day 15: Forward Motion by Relient K

I think this song explains itself really well, so I won't go into detail. It's a fun tune that I've been listening to since I was a teenager, and I don't see any reason to stop now.

Day 16: Maggie's Farm by Bob Dylan

Hands down, this is my favorite song Dylan ever wrote, and I maintain his version is way better than the one Rage did a long time ago. Anyway, what we've got here is your standard Dylan-ish lyrics, full of cryptic messages that I love to dissect. At it's core, though, this is a song about someone taking control of their life. They're tired of people taking advantage of them in every aspect of their life, so they break ties with everything. That's an important life lesson if I've ever heard one.

Maggie's Farm


Day 17: Caroline by Jon Foreman

This isn't the first time Jon Foreman's popped up here, and it won't be the last. This song hit me at a time when I needed it the most last year. I remember liking it when I first heard it, but the full weight of it didn't hit me until about a week later, when I was listening to it in the car, alone. In that moment I realized that I was Caroline. I felt lost and alone, trying to find my way back home, stranded in that same phone booth in the middle of a storm, calling home with no one answering.

I broke down when this finally hit me. There I was, driving down the interstate, bawling my eyes out like a baby. The song broke me, but in those pieces I found a way to rebuild myself into who I am today. And that's something I'll never forget.

 That's all for today, ladies and gentlemen. See ya next time!

Songs of Hope

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled Musical Musings posts tomorrow, but for today, I'm trying something I've never tried before. In standard conversation, when I drone on about songs inspiring hope and how they can be a powerful tool to help us through our darkest moments, I just get blank stares, or insincere nods of agreement to get me to shut up.

Around musicians, however, this is entirely different, and tends to lead to deep conversations that can go on for hours. But musicians aren't the only ones touched by music as we all know, so this post is for everyone. Someone without a musical background might not know the details of the progression or what scale the song is written in to help convey the intended feeling, but everyone knows when they just FEEL something.

This is a list of songs (and you'll see certain artists repeated multiple times) that have instilled hope in me over the years. Some of these are new, some are old, but all of them are very special to me, and I hope you'll give them a chance to see if they're special to you. And since this is such a long list, I'll only be including links to the videos, rather than posting the videos themselves. Oh, and since this is an exhaustive list, I'm going to put a star by a few tracks by each artist that are my personal favorites (or in the case of Golden, saved my life) so you don't have to sit through all of these (even though you totally should.)

Here we go....



Switchfoot
Where the Light Shines Through *
Hope is the Anthem
Afterlife
Dark Horses
Vice Verses *
We Are One Tonight
Love Alone is Worth the Fight *
C'mon C'mon
Golden *
Let Your Love Be Strong
Hello Hurricane *
The World You Want *
Thrive

U2
Walk On
The Hands That Built America *
Pride (In The Name of Love)
The Unforgettable Fire
Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own *
Sleep Like a Baby Tonight
Every Breaking Wave *
Like a Song.... ****


Goo Goo Dolls
Rebel Beat
Better Days *
I'm Still Here (This is Jon Rzeznik without the band.)

Ed Sheeran
What Do I Know?


Matisyahu
One Day


Jon Foreman
The Moon is a Magnet
Love Isn't Made
God Badge *

Tears For Fears
Famous Last Words *
Sowing the Seeds of Love
Power *
The Working Hour *
Secret World
Ladybird

Louis Armstrong
What a Wonderful World

Bob Marley
No Woman, No Cry *
Three Little Birds

 

The Little Things

Taking a quick break from the Musical Musings series to do something a little different. I had this idea last night while I was siting around, thinking about my various friendships over the years, and it stuck me that who I am now is due in part to what I've learned from my friends at different stages of my life. So I figured: Why not get a little mushy and give some shoutouts to my friends for all those little (or not so little) things they've taught me throughout the years. So, here goes....



Rickman: What can I say, man? We've had more crazy nights jumping bar-to-bar in Fultondale than I can count. You helped teach me how to cut loose and just have fun, even when other people in the room are looking at you funny. Can't thank you enough for that.


Nagato: You helped me learn an important lesson. That no matter how much I improve, there's always more room to improve past that. I remember the first time I took a Monthly over you and thought I'd finally pushed past you. Then, the next month, I took 2nd to you. Then, a month or two later, I beat you again, and it continued like that for months. We could never take each other for granted, and some of my favorite matches I've ever played were against you in those tournaments. (Even thought Isaac said we were both pressing too many buttons.)

At the end of the day, man, I know that even beyond Fighting Games, I've always got you in my corner, and I hope you know I'm always in yours.


John: At first it seemed like the rest of us were helping you come out of your shell, but then you helped the rest of us realize we still had a bit of a shell to lose ourselves. Between me, you and Rickman we had a solid years (or more) of killer weeks. I wouldn't trade those for anything.


Jarad: I still miss our weekly WoD/D&D sessions. In that times I learned an important lesson from you and didn't even realize it until yesterday. It's what sparked the whole idea for this post, so thanks. What was it, you ask? Well, I've always prided myself on being a guy who thinks on my feet, but in our WoD campaign you showed me ways of tackling things I'd never even considered before. You made me, not just a better DM, but a better person in general just from playing our silly little pretend games, haha!

Outside of that, seeing you take annoying situations in stride made me take a look at myself and learn to let some small things go. My temper still clouds my view a lot, but less so now, thanks in part to you. So, when are we all gonna hang out again, ya mook?


Jen: You helped teach me about determination. You're not a person to shy away from a challenge, (like I used to be) you just go kick the challenge's ass, and I respect (and envy) that.

 Also, I feel like I should apologize for the times we were having a discussion about something geeky and I got loud with a different opinion. I really like hearing your views on those things, then I get excited and try to quickly (and loudly) inject my entire view into the conversation in one go and it just makes look like an ass. I'll work on that in the future. Here's to more drunken tabletop nights sometime soon!


Tori: I feel like just being around you makes me more adventurous. You're always up to try something new and exciting, and I need to be more like that myself. I know that if I ever need someone to travel across country to see a concert with me, I can count on you. XD


Luke: Ah, my beautiful Lennon-esque friend. You're wicked smart but it's never gone to your head, and that means something. You're kindhearted, funny (especially when you're drunk) and you like my cooking. Also, I know you treat Tori really well, so with all that going, looks like we'll be friends for life.


Tajh: My man! If I'm ever in a pinch I know I can count on you. When we first started hanging out last year, I was giving you pointers on playing Street Fighter, but you taught me something, too. How to actually HAVE FUN playing on occasion. Not sure what else I can say, but don't ever change, bro!


Chris Currie: I've never name-dropped anybody in one of my songs before, not until I met you. That's just how much of an impact you've had on me in the past year. I've said it a million times, and I'll say it a million more: I wouldn't have kept playing/writing music this year if it weren't for you. You pushed me forward, and gave me a nice shove every time I stalled out. I can't thank you enough, brother.

Mike Laws: Hope you didn't think I forgot about you, brother. We haven't gotten to hang out for awhile, but I figure that's gonna change pretty soon. Between you and Chris pushing me in my music, I know I can't lose. Thanks for talking to me that one night at the End Zone (you know what I'm talking about) and giving me the kind words. They really did help.


Andy: Brother. That's the first word that comes to mind whenever you pop into my head. Not only did you encourage my writing all those years ago when no one else did, but I've taken life advice from you more times than I can count. Beyond that, you taught me that sometimes when things look scary, the only thing you can do is dive in and take a chance. Moving from my teenage years into adulthood was a much easier transition than it could've been, thanks to you. And thanks for not getting mad all those times I called you at bad times, in desperate need of advice.


Isaac: Man, where to start? I've already said that getting into the Birmingham FGC was one of the best decisions I ever made, that it taught me things that carried over into real life and made me a better person, etc. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and pushed me to get better. And whenever I needed advice outside of Fighting Games, you were never too busy to listen and offer advice. Between you and Andy, I've had some really solid coaches for the past decade or so, and I look forward to paying you back someday for all you've done. Thanks, big guy.



And that's it! Hope no one feels bad for not seeing their name. There were other things I wanted to say, other names I wanted to drop, but I'd be here all day if I did. So with that, my gushing is over and ... yeah, that's it. This post was mainly for me. Just wanted to say thanks to these folks that I love. Have a good one!

Musical Musings: Days 8-11

Another four days, another four songs for your listening pleasure. (Not THAT kind of pleasure, ya sicko!) As always, if you guys have any thoughts I'd love to hear them in the comments, so don't be shy.



Day 8: One Day by Matisyahu

I first heard this song late one night (or early one morning, depending on how you look at it) while I was trying to fight through depression long enough to get some sleep. I got the idea to listen to an old favorite of mine, Heaven by Brett Dennen, and after I was done, youtube suggested a live version of this song. It was one of those moments I've come to appreciate more and more as I get older, where a song finds me exactly when I need it most.

At almost every show I play now, I try to make sure I work a cover of One Day in, because I feel it's a message we all need to hear, to be reminded of over and over. Now, more than two years after first hearing this song, I'm still not tired of it.

Day 9: Ain't No Reason by Brett Dennen

So yeah, remember that Brett Dennen guy I mentioned a minute ago? Well he's awesome and I still have a clear recollection of the day I first heard him on the radio. This was back when a little show called Reg's Coffeehouse was on 100.5 in Birmingham, before that station got gutted and turned into yet another political talk-radio station with nothing but O'Reilly, Jones and Beck wannabe caricatures. But that's just par for the course for my hometown at this point, so I digress.

So where was I? Oh, yeah! I was driving to work one afternoon in 2009 at around 1:00pm. I pulled out onto the highway, and just as I was passing the old Jet Pep gas station on the right, Reg decided to hit play on a song called Heaven (the one I mentioned earlier) and at first I was a little turned off by Brett's voice, I'll admit.... But then I listened to what the man was saying, and he had me.

Honestly, I could've put Heaven or Ain't No Reason in this spot. They're both wonderful songs, tackling important issues, but the coin toss decided on Ain't No Reason, so that's what I went with, but I suggest listening to both, if you have the time. And if you don't, make time.

Day 10: Nothing Is Real by Goo Goo Dolls

If you know me, you knew this guys would make it in at some point this month, just like you know Switchfoot, U2 and Tears For Fears will be back (spoiler alert, by the way) before the month's over.

So, off of my favorite Goo Goo Dolls album comes Nothing Is Real. Introspective, poetic, philosophical. The big three on my checklist for a great song, and they're all checked. This one caught me from the first verse(first line, really, but I'll give you the whole verse):

"Hey, anybody in this world?
Can you talk to me awhile?
Find a reason for it all?
'Cause I keep thinking backwards,
To a place I've never been,
To a home that never was,
It's like I'm losing it again,
And it takes so long to say these words,
Can you wait that long for me?"

If you want to know the rest, you'll have to listen below.

Day 11: Wavin' Flag by K'Naan

A crappier version of this song was used for the Fifa World Cup in 2010, and that's the version most people have heard. This version, though, is infinitely better in every way. It's an anthem of hope. We could use more of those, I think. But this one speaks for itself so, give it a listen.

And with that, I'll see yo guys next time!

Musical Musings: Days 5-7

So, a busy weekend kept me from posting until now, but like I said before, that just means you get more songs at once! (Oh, and for future reference, anytime I just post a link instead of embedding the video, just assume it's Blogger being stupid.)

Enough chatter, let's get into it!



Day 5: What Do I Know by Ed Sheeran

This song means a lot to me. It's my favorite track on Ed's latest album, a sentiment also shared by my brother, Chris Currie (the baddest of badass musicians) as well.

I already liked the album from the first track, but imagine my surprise when I get to track ten and I here a message Mr. Currie and I have been talking about for months already. There's really not much more I can say about this one. It wasn't an earth-shattering revelation for me like some other songs, but it has a message that needs to be heard by everyone, so why don't you hop right on that?

Day 6: Dead And Gone by T.I. and Justin Timberlake

Remember when I said modern hip-hop is mostly garbage? Well, I stand by that, BUT this song is amazing. That increasingly rare gem in a sea of repetitive feces that gives me hope. Don't get me wrong, I've heard some modern rap/hip-hop tracks that are really good, but how many of them do you think got mainstream airplay? Yeah, exactly.

I'm sure you've all heard this one before, but give it another listen. I promise it's worth your time.

Dead And Gone



Day 7: Upside by Allen Stone

I know what you're thinking: "Cam, all of this is so mainstream. These tunes will never satisfy my inner hipster!"

Well, I might have you covered here! Allen Stone isn't exactly underground at this point, but he's not the most well-known either. I only know who he is because he opened for Tears For Fears when I went to see them back in May ... but this kid killed it. With nothing but his guitar and a loop pedal, he made the arena resonate with an energy so beautiful I can't even describe it.

Upside was one of the songs he played, and even though it's much better live, the recorded version ain't half bad. Now listen to this track and go buy his album!

And that's all for now, so I'll see you guys next time.

Musical Musings: Days 1-4

SORRY!

I feel like I should lead with that since I said a few weeks ago that I would be posting a song a day throughout the month of August, along with what the song means to me, etc. And yet, here we are, and I'm 4 days late for my first post already. But if you think that means I won't be covering 31 songs this month, you're wrong! Anytime I miss a day, it just means I'll be talking about more songs in that post. This is gonna be a fun ride, and I hope you guys stick with me to the end.

Here we go:


Day 1: Instead of a Show by Jon Foreman

So, all you guys who were so certain that a Switchfoot song would be my first song of the month ... well, you were mostly right. It's no secret that Jon Foreman was my biggest inspiration to finally learn an instrument and start writing, but that was before he ever released any of his (now 8) solo EPs. But I was there the day the physical copies of the first two dropped, titled Fall and Winter. This song wouldn't come out until almost a year later, though, when Spring and Summer got their physical release.

This song was on Summer, and teenage me, who still struggled to reconcile my religion with my conscience, was struck by this song. It was the first song on all of the EPs that I hit repeat on before hearing the rest.

It's inspired by a scripture in Isaiah, and it's very brutal in its outcry against hypocrisy. (You'd think if more religious people actually read this thing they could find the drive to pull their head out of their ass on occasion.) This song has become even more relevant to me as I've gotten older and continued to watch the way religion can take good people and twist them into self-righteous, evil bigots.

Day 2: Changes by Tupac

I'll freely admit to my hatred of most modern hip-hop music, and I blame that entirely on Tupac (or 2pac, if you prefer) because who else could live up to this guy?

If you dig through his catalogue you'll find songs that cover some of the same subjects you see in hip-hop today, but with a very different painting of it. Rather than go into any great detail here, I'll let the all-time great speak for himself in the video. (Also, blogger is being stupid about letting me drop in the video from youtube, so I'm just dropping a link to it below.)

Tupac: Changes


Day 3: Secrets by Tears For Fears

Up until a few years ago, I never gave Tears For Fears a fair shake. That all changed when I picked up the album Elemental at 2nd and Charles one weekend, but that's not the album we're talking about here. This is from the album that followed 4 years later (1995), and would mark the last album to fall under the Tears For Fears moniker until 2004.

This is a beautiful song that shines a light on how keeping secrets can be self-destructive to us, and hurt the people we care about. The "empty" sound of the song matches the lyrics perfectly, with the lead guitar being the only instrument to really stand out, and even that has a heavy echo effect on it. All together a great song from a great band that's just barely a notch behind Switchfoot for me now.

And if you need something else to get you to listen to this one, how about this line:

"I used to think the time would come
When man would rise above the beast
I gave up thinking that way long ago
In conversation with a priest"

Day 4: Acrobat by U2

This is easily one of my top 5 favorite U2 songs, and one that almost no one I know has heard. Not surprising really, if you think about it. It was never a single, and if you stopped listening to U2 after Joshua Tree like most people (still an overrated album, as good as it is) then you missed a lot of great content.

I like this song in part because of how many different meanings can be pulled from it. For me, it's about the absolute terror of living an everyday life. It could also be something Bono wrote about dealing with being a celebrity. I won't delve any deeper because this is one of those songs I think everyone should hear and judge themselves.

It's dark, it's edgy and very unlike anything they had done up to that point. Easily my favorite song off of Achtung Baby, and like I said before, one of my favorite U2 songs in general.

Oh, and I'd love to hear from you guys on this one (or any other songs I mentioned here) on what meaning you pulled from this.

And that wraps things up for today. I look forward to jumping back in tomorrow, and I hope you guys join me.

Oh, and no, I have no idea what songs I'm picking from day to day. It's based entirely on my mood at the time, which I feel is the best way to do this. The only exception will be the last day, which will be my favorite song of all time. But, other than that, nothing is set in stone, so each day will be as much of a surprise to me as it is to you!

See ya next time!

A Life Painted With Minor Chords

Hey, guys. I know it's been awhile since I've posted, and I apologize, but I just haven't felt I had much of anything worth posting about. But, the past few weeks I've been seeing a trend on Facebook where people make a list of the albums that helped shape them into who they are. At first, the list was strictly for albums heard during your teenage years, then, as time went by, the restrictions became more and more loose, to the point where people were just posting the top however-many albums that they felt had made the biggest impact on their lives.

I started to make a post earlier today, sitting in my car during break, but I realized I wanted to say way too much about each one, so I put out a post as a feeler to gauge interest in doing this, and got enough nods that I feel like it's worth doing. So, before I get into it, there is one album in particular that I squeezed in here that's far more recent than the others. So, while I didn't inform my late teens/early twenties, it's had enough of an impact on me that I feel it's worth mentioning. Beyond that, I tried to limit every artist to one album, with the exception of 2 bands, both of which will come as a surprise to no one who knows me.

(Also, until the last couple, this list is in no certain order.)
(Oh, and I'm not spell-checking this before I post, so be warned.)

****

Goo Goo Dolls: Something For the Rest of Us

 

I figured since this was the album I was listening to when I got the idea to make the post in the first place, it would be a good spot to start. I got this one as a Christmas present back in 2010, months after it had come out. I've always liked the Goo Goo Dolls, but nothing of theirs had ever hit me as hard as this one did. "As I Am" was the first track to really hook me, and from there "Not Broken" let a 20 year-old me know that, no matter hard the world wears you down, you're still worth something. "Still Your Song" talks about dealing with past regrets, but not in a melancholy or pessimistic way. Instead, it puts focus on moving forward and offering an apology to someone you've wronged:

"I don't pretend to understand
All the things I put you through
And I don't need forgiveness
But I owe one thing to you
And this is your song
This is your song"

 

So yeah, that's my nod to the brilliant John Rzeznik. (Here's hoping the next album won't be as disappointing as the one from last year.)

 

****

 

 Sanctus Real: Fight The Tide

This one's kind of an oddball on the list. See, when I was growing up, the music I was allowed to listen to was very limited. I'm sure a lot of people who grew up in a strict, Christian home can relate to this. And while I'll be the first to tell you that 99.723% of Christian music is hot garbage, there are a few that, at some point or another, have fallen through the cracks and produced something worthwhile, and I feel Sanctus Real did that with their first two albums, but specifically the second. Fight The Tide isn't flawless by any means. There are a couple of tracks I hear now and wonder what the hell they were thinking, but then I hear songs like the title track and  I remember why I loved them so much as a teen. Deeds is an especially great tune, bemoaning the Benchwarming Christian archetype.

If you get a chance, give this one a quick listen. I think you might be surprised at what you find. 

****

Relient K: Five Score and Seven Years Ago

 

Yes! Another band from a Christian label! And I'll defend this choice till the day I die, because Matt Thiessen is a really good lyricist, and easily the best on any Christian label. His wordplay can be either funny or piercing, depending on the need, and that kind of lyrical competence isn't something you come across very often. Anyone who makes a habit of writing songs will know exactly what I'm talking about here. 

The album kicks off simply enough, with the tongue-in-cheek humor of "Plead the Fifth" and jumps into "Come Right Out and Say It," where Matt delves into truth of what it's like knowing someone is holding back what they really think for no reason. There are also some goofy love songs here and there, as the band is know for, but then "Devastation and Reform" takes you on a journey through the self-destructive nature many of us can empathize with.

 

To date, I consider this the best album the band has ever put out. And no, it's not JUST because Jon Foreman sings on the last track....

 

****

 

Ben Harper: Give Till It's Gone

 

If you've heard Ben Harper, you've heard one of the most soulful artists to ever exist. This album is like a roller coaster ride with the instrumentation, tempo and all around feeling. If you'd never heard these tracks before and had someone let you hear them in one siting, you'd probably never guess these all came from the same album. But don't take that to mean it has no sense of direction or that it's a creative mess, because it's anything but. Think of the album as controller chaos. The theme of the album is just being human, and that can be a chaotic and scary thing, dragging us from one place to the next. I've never heard anyone do this as well as Ben Harper.

 

If you've never heard this album (or Ben Harper at all) I urge you to check this one out. And please hit me up after and tell me what you think.

 

****

 

Bleach: Farewell Old Friends

 

I know, I know. I keep pelting you with Christian bands, but this is the last one, and probably my favorite of that bunch. Probably because they were among the forerunners of 90's Christian Alt-Rock, and this was back when I wasn't even allowed to listen to that "Rock Gospel" nonsense. Yes, that's what it was called when I was a kid, and yes, this attitude caused me to miss out on so much amazing music when I was young. BUT! Once my parents loosened up, I was able to jump into bands like Bleach, and what I heard was simple, but beautiful. This was also probably the earliest instance of hearing a lead singer and going "Wow! This guy doesn't have a gravelly voice like your typical rock star. He sounds kinda like me!"

Ironically, this album would be my first, and their last. This band I'd always been curious about and wanted to hear had ran their last tour a year or so prior and I never knew. 

 

I won't go into any more detail on these guys because, quite frankly, I don't think many people would enjoy them the way I do. I found them at a very magical time in my life when I was just learning to play guitar and experiment with different types of music I'd never heard before. They'll always hold a special place in my heart because of that.

 

****

 

Jon Foreman: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

 

If I've talked to you for any length of time about music, I've probably mentioned this guy. The man who changed my life had the single biggest hand into shaping me into who I am today. I'd been listening to Switchfoot for awhile and they had quickly become my favorite band, which was great because, even though they didn't bill themselves as a Christian band (and even boycotted Christian venues for a few years) they got a lot of play on Christian radio, so my parents were cool with them. 

When Jon announced he was doing a set of solo EPs themed after the seasons, I'd already decided to start saving money to buy them. I waited what felt like a lifetime as he recorded them and checked his Myspace (yes, it was that long ago) every day to see if there was an update. When they finally dropped, I went straight to the store and bought them. Fall and Winter came in a combo pack together, and I'd still have to wait for the other two, but I finally had a piece of the puzzle I'd wanted for so long. 

And my jaw dropped. On track 1.

I listened to both of them as many times as I could cram into that night, then started again the next morning. When Spring and Summer dropped a few months later, I did the same thing. Not only does the instrumentation change from one to the other (Winter uses a lot of "empty" sounds for instance) but we go from songs about longing, to love, to confusion, to religious hypocrisy, to suicide. 

I never wanted to be someone else like I wanted to be Jon Foreman around that time, and every time I hear these songs, I remember why.

 

Do yourself a favor and give these a listen. You won't be sorry.

 

****

 

 U2: All That You Can't Leave Behind

U2: The Unforgettable Fire

U2: Songs of Innocence

 

Alright, go ahead and get your pitchforks ready, because I'm about to slap some unpopular truth on you, and you might not like it. 

U2 is, to this day, among the greatest bands of our lives. Whether you like Bono or not, you can't deny his brilliant lyricism and expect me to take you seriously. Also, note that The Joshua Tree isn't on this list. The Holy Grail of U2 albums (and the only one many people have heard in its entirety) didn't make the cut. And to be honest, it barely breaks my top 5 U2 albums, but that's neither here nor there....

 

All That You Can't Leave Behind was the second U2 album I ever heard (right after the aforementioned Holy Grail) and I immediately fell in love with it. While U2 became big with Joshua Tree's heavy political themes, people tend to overlook the albums that are more personal, or the ones that just don't "sound like U2." Excuse me, sir? I think the band would tell you those albums sound a helluva lot like U2, because that's the way U2 WANTS to sound.

Anyway, the personal nature of the album, with songs like "Kite" and "Peace on Earth," remains one of their most poignant albums to date.

 

The Unforgettable Fire, I was kind of late to the party with. I'd already heard Boy, October, War, Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, the Hits albums, Can't Leave Behind and Atomic Bomb, but hadn't heard this gem. And I'm sorry I deprived myself for so long, because I saw instantly that this was the album where the band finally came into their own. Yeah, the first three were good, but Unforgettable Fire was such an even more drastic departure than War had been for the band. Bono was finally figuring out how to write songs about God without the preachiness of October, and embracing the more poetic nature of his writing. 

 

Songs of Innocence is the one everybody loves to hate, and I really don't get why. Yeah, having a album forced onto your phone isn't cool, but I had an iphone at the time, and I actually had to go download it myself. It never just popped up in my phone without warning. But beyond that, this album is dark and gritty and real and wonderful. Right now, I'd have to say it's taken the number 1 spot for me among their albums. "Raised By Wolves" is the first song that comes to mind when I think of the album, with a brutal honesty equal to the Psalms of David. But that's not all this album has to offer. Underneath the rough exterior, you find hope for a better tomorrow. And that's just one of the thing that makes this album great.

 

Now, without further ado, I give you guys the album(s) that have gut-punched me harder than anything else....

 

****

 

    Switchfoot: Nothing Is Sound

Switchfoot: Oh! Gravity.

Switchfoot: Vice Verses

 

Again, a lot of you already knew this, but I'm gonna go into it again. I'm actually gonna start with my least favorite of the bunch and work up to my favorite so:

 

Oh! Gravity. is the first Switchfoot album I really had to wait for. Nothing Is Sound just happened to drop right after I got into the band in the first place, so there wasn't really any anticipation building to the release. But with this one, I'd had over a year to think about how awesome the next album would be, and I was right, it was pretty awesome. The title track talks about the chaos of living while "American Dream" deals with the wastefulness of excess. But "Awakening" was the song that pulled me in harder than any other song on the CD. Even cautionary tale of "Faust, Midas and Myself" paled in comparison to "Awakening." I won't even go into detail about the song, just check it out for yourself.

 

Vice Verses was one I had to wait YEARS for. Sometime after Gravity, the band announced they were working on over 4 albums of material and they were hard at work on the first set of songs. This was around 2007 and the first of those albums, "Hello Hurricane," wouldn't drop until 2009. Vice Verses came out in 2011, the same month of my 21st birthday, and it couldn't have been a more fitting anthem for my life at the time. Vice Verses went back to a more Rock sound, in contrast to the softer, Pop tunes found on Hurricane. I devoured this album, spit it out, and went back for seconds. This was it. Even though I loved every album, THIS was the one I'd been waiting for since Nothing Is Sound in 2005. 

"You got your babies, I got my hearses
Every blessing comes with a set of curses
I got my vices, I got my vice verses
I got my vice verses"

 

Now, the one I've been waiting to talk about....

 

Nothing Is Sound is the album that saved my life. The whole album was amazing, with "Lonely Nation" talking about how, even though we're a society connected to millions of other people 24/7, somehow we still grow more and more lonely every day. "Politicians" forces us to take a look at ourselves and realize that maybe we're really the problem that we project onto others. But "Golden" ... that song changed everything about me. As emotional as I am with music, there are very few songs where I burst into tears the first time I hear them. Few that make me feel like there's a physical force pulling my heart down into my stomach. But "Golden" did all of that and more. 

The first time I heard that song, it broke me. And I found a beauty in that brokenness. It was exactly what I needed to hear exactly when I needed to hear it. Other songs and albums have made crucial changes in my life, but nothing like the complete 180 this one put me through. 

At the tip-top of my Bucket List is the hope that I can actually meet Jon Foreman one day and, if I can keep my jaw off the floor long enough, tell him how his words saved me and made me into who I am. Maybe I'll get that chance one day.

 

To my musician friends: Without this album, this song ... I wouldn't be a musician today. I wouldn't be writing songs, and I can guarantee you I wouldn't be the kind of person you'd want to talk to. 

 

To everyone: Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. I know it's very long and not really necessary, but if you've made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the ride. If nothing else, maybe you've found some new music to check out, and that's awesome. 

Take care, everyone.